Beginner’s Guide: 15 Essential Macedonian Verbs to Get You Started

Understanding Macedonian verbs is key to constructing sentences and expressing thoughts clearly.

Understanding Verb Groups

Macedonian verbs are categorized into different groups based on their endings, which helps learners recognize patterns in verb conjugation.

A Group (Зборува): These verbs typically end in “a.”

E Group (Јаде): These verbs typically end in “e.”

И Group (Мисли): These verbs typically end in “и.”

Present Tense Conjugation Patterns

Unlike languages like English, Macedonian does not have infinitives (e.g., “to speak”). Instead, we rely on the third-person singular to convey this meaning.

Using “Да” with Conjugated Verbs

In Macedonian, we use the particle “да” along with conjugated auxiliary verbs. Here are a couple of examples:

Можам да зборувам (I can speak/I am able to speak)

Сакам да зборувам (I want to speak)

In these sentences, “да” functions similarly to “to” in English, but it pairs with the conjugated form of the verb to convey a complete idea.

When conjugating verbs in the present tense, Macedonian follows consistent patterns. Here’s a breakdown of how this works:

The first-person singular (I) always ends with -м:

Јас зборувам (I speak)

The second-person singular (you) ends with -ш:

Ти зборуваш (You speak)

The first-person plural (we) ends with -ме:

Ние зборуваме (We speak)

The second-person plural (you all) ends with -те:

Вие зборувате (You all speak)

The third-person plural (they) ends with -ат:

Тие зборуваат (They speak)

Essential Verbs for Daily Conversations

Now, let’s dive into some of the most common and frequently used verbs in everyday Macedonian conversations.

1. Сум (to be)

*Irregular verb

Јас сум ученик. (I am a student)
Ти си учител. (You are a teacher)
Тој / таа / тоа е тука. (He/she/it is here)

Ние сме пријатели. (We are friends)
Вие сте среќни. (You are happy)
Тие се љубезни. (They are kind)

In colloquial Macedonian, the verb “to be” often comes after the noun, so instead of saying „Ние сме пријатели” (We are friends), you can simply say „Пријатели сме” (“Friends we are”). This construction emphasizes the noun and is commonly used in everyday conversation.

However, there are exceptions, especially when introducing oneself. For example, you would say „Јас сум Петар” (I am Petar). But in other cases, like „Ученик сум” (I am a student) or „Од Америка сум” (I am from America), the verb can also come after the noun, which is more informal and conversational.

2. Има (to have)

*This verb and all the following verbs are regular, which means they are conjugated following the patterns we saw above.

Имам велосипед. (I have a bicycle.)
Имаш велосипед? (Do you have a bicycle?)
Имаме велосипед. (We have a bicycle.)

Notice how you can omit the personal pronoun in Macedonian.

3. Сака (to want/love)

In Macedonian, the verb сакa is versatile and can mean both “to want” and “to love.” While Macedonian has a more specific verb for “to love” — љуби — people commonly use сакa in expressions of love as well.

For example:

Те сакам or Те љубам both mean “I love you,” but Те сакам is more frequently used in everyday speech.

At the same time, сака is used to express desire or want, as in:

– Сакам нова кола! – “I want a new car!”
– Сакаш чај? – “Do you want tea?”
– Сакаме да победи најдобриот. – “We want the best to win.”

4. Може (can/may):

In Macedonian, може means “can” or “may” and is used to express possibility, ability, or permission. It’s similar to the English verbs “can” or “might” depending on the context.

Here are some common uses of може:

Expressing ability:

– Можам да ја завршам работата до утре. (“I can finish the work by tomorrow.”)

– Можеш да дојдеш? (“Can you come?”)

Expressing possibility (might/may):

– Може да врне утре. (“It might rain tomorrow”)

Why not/sure

– Сакате мајонез во сендвичот? (“Do you want mayonnaise in the sandwich?”)
– Може! (“Why not”)

5. Прави (to do/make):

The verb прави means “to do” or “to make” and is used to describe actions related to creating something, performing a task, or carrying out an activity.

Here are the common uses and examples of прави:

To make (something physical):

– Правам кафе (I make coffee)
– Тој прави торта (He’s making a cake)

To do (an action or task):

– Што правиш? – “What are you doing?”

6. Знае (to know)

To know a fact:

– Знам колку луѓе ќе дојдат. (I know how many people will come.)
– Не знам зошто. (I don’t know why.)

To know how to do something (knowledge or skill):

– Знаеш да пливаш? (Do you know how to swim?)

7. Зборува (to speak)

The verb Зборува in Macedonian can mean “to speak” or “to talk”:

Зборуваш македонски? (Do you speak Macedonian?)
Многу зборувате! (You talk a lot!)
Зборувавме за времето. (We talked about the weather)

8. Разбира (to understand)

The verb разбира in Macedonian means “to understand.” Here’s a breakdown of its meaning:

Разбираш македонски? (Do you understand Macedonian?)
Ме разбираш? (Do you understand me?)

Разбира can also indicate familiarity or knowledge about a specific topic, often used in a conversational context:

Не разбирам ништо од информатика. (“I don’t understand anything about computer science”)

The phrase „се разбира“ means “it is understood” or “of course.”

– Ќе дојдеш на забавата? (Will you come to the party?)
– Се разбира! (Of course!)

9. Гледа (to watch; to see)

The verb гледа (to watch, to see) has a rich array of meanings and uses in Macedonian.

Гледа – To watch
– Гледам филм. (I’m watching a movie.)
Гледа – To see
– Ме гледаш? (Do you see me?)

Гледа – To make sure
– Гледај да не задоцниш! (Make sure you’re not late!)

Гледа – To be oriented towards something
– Станот гледа на исток. (The apartment faces east.)

Гледа – To take a stance or position on something
– Гледам на предизвиците како на можности за раст.
(I see challenges as opportunities for growth.)

10. Слуша (to listen; to hear)

Слушам музика. (I listen to music.)
Ме слушаш? (Do you hear me?)

Слуша – To auscultate (in a medical context):

– На прегледот, му го слуша срцето. (At the examination, (he/she) auscultates his heart.)

To attend (university classes)

– Слуша само математика и физика. (He/she attends only math and physics classes.)

To obey (to follow advice or commands):

– Слушај ги постарите! (Listen to the elders!)

To know by hearing:

– Слушам дека си бил во странство. (I hear that you have been abroad.)

11. Оди (to go)

Оди – to go, to walk

– Оди на работа. (He/She goes to work.)

Being in a romantic relationship.

– Тие одат две години. (They have been dating for two years already.)

To move (vehicles)

– Автобусот оди полека. (The bus is going slowly.)

How things progress or are carried out in a work context (indirect short pronoun ми / ти / му/ ѝ /ни / ви / им + оди)

– Добро му оди работата (His work is going well)

Spending or using resources (indirect pronoun + оди)

– Половина плата му оди за јадење. (Half of his salary goes for food.)

12. Доаѓа (to come)

Возот доаѓа. (The train is coming.)
Доаѓаш на концертот? (Are you coming to the concert?)

Indirect pronoun (Ми, ти, му…) + доаѓа – To feel like

– Ми доаѓа да заплачам. (It feels like crying to me)

13. Работи (to work)

Каде работиш? (Where do you work?)
Многу работам. (I work a lot.)
Работиме заедно. (We work together.)

To function

– Сите мотори работат добро. (All the engines are working well.)

14. Пишува (to write)

Што пишуваш? (What are you writing?)
Некои писатели не пишуваат често. (Some writers don’t write regularly.)
Не ми се пишува. (I don’t feel like writing.)

15. Чита (to read)

Читам една книга месечно. (I read one book a month.)
Го читаш Петре М. Андреевски? (Do you read Petre M. Andreevski?)
Ми ги читате мислите? (Are you reading my thoughts?)

Што понатаму? What next?

These 15 essential Macedonian verbs are the building blocks of everyday communication and will help you express yourself more effectively in various situations. As you continue your language learning journey, make an effort to incorporate these verbs into your daily practice—whether through writing, speaking, or listening to Macedonian music and media. Remember, language learning is a gradual process, so stay tuned for more lessons & insights!